


Memory Lane

by pocketsebastian



Series: Kevin's Okay [1]
Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Cecil is Mostly Human, Cecil is an asshole but he gets better, Kevin is Inhuman, Kevin-centric, M/M, Multi, carlos has to put up with so much bullshit, cecil doesn't really understand desert bluffs, character exploration, kevin gets sassy a lot, kevin is sad, relationship exploration, road trip to desert bluffs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-02
Updated: 2016-08-13
Packaged: 2018-07-28 23:01:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7660366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pocketsebastian/pseuds/pocketsebastian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kevin makes trips to Desert Bluffs on his own a few times a month. Never more than a few hours spent there, and always back before nightfall to hear Cecil's show and have dinner with him and Carlos. When he mentions he'll be spending a night at the old town, Carlos insists that Cecil join him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Morning Of

Cecil knew that Kevin made monthly visits to what remained of Desert Bluffs. A few people still lived in the town, though not many. It just wasn't a town anymore. Not when only a handful of people lived there. Cecil didn't really see why he went, though. It seemed, if he were totally honest, pointless. After all, if Night Vale was his home now, why bother? If the town was as desolate as it was, why go through the three hour travel just TO the town. That didn't include coming BACK.

And it wasn't like Kevin used some teleportation thing or drove himself there. He bussed. Cecil hadn't even known there was a bus that went to Desert Bluffs. (There wasn't, Kevin paid the driver to take him and a few other Bluffians who resided in Night Vale once a month, plus extra to take him alone a few extra times.) He sat on a bus for three hours one way just to do…. What? Cecil didn't know. Carlos didn't know either. Cecil had asked the scientist, considering he was closest to Kevin, and Carlos had just shrugged his shoulders before returning to whatever science he had been doing.

"I'm, uhm, going to be staying the night in the Bluffs tonight. Just, so you don't get worried when I'm not home. Tonight," Kevin said that morning as he filled a suitcase with a spare set of clothes and his toiletries. "I'll have my phone, though. So you can reach me." Carlos and Cecil looked at their partner from their spots on the bed, having been watching and making small talk with the afternoon radio host while he packed, their brows furrowed just a bit at the news. Kevin did not stay the night. He just didn't. Not at the Bluffs. He was always back, even if he came in just before midnight, dead tired, he always came home.

Between the scientist and the evening radio host, the two had one of their silent conversations through their eyes. Whatever it was, Kevin didn't catch it. He wasn't good at their silent conversations. Whether it was because he hadn't been around the two for nearly as long or because he just wasn't the most observant at body language, who knew. Carlos figured the latter, Cecil the former. Roughly, the conversation probably went something like:

_He's never stayed over night._

**_Well, perhaps he's visiting a friend?_ **

_Scientifically speaking, it's out of his norm, though. He's never mentioned friends at Desert Bluffs, from what little he talks about it._

**_You should go with him._ **

_Science. You go._

**_!!! Why me!?_ **

_It'd be nice to see you two behave together, for once._

There was a huff from the evening radio host, and he ran his fingers through his white hair, ruffling the locks briefly before he sighed, rolling his eyes. Dammit. Carlos was always right. Okay, not always. There had been that time he was Very Wrong about combining some chemicals and then he'd scorched every lock of his hair off. That had been Very Wrong. Incredibly Wrong. Carlos hadn't minded, of course, but waiting for the curls to grow back, waiting for the ability to run his fingers through the hair… Carlos cleared his throat pointedly, breaking Cecil from his thoughts.

"Oh, uh, do you want--do you want company? You don't usually stay the night," Cecil said, looking at the other, watching him fold a sweater vest neatly and place it in the suitcase. "Do you even have somewhere to stay? I mean, it's a pretty desolate town. And sure there are people there, but who knows how, ah, Strexified? They are." Shit. Wrong words.

Kevin bristled at the accusation. Not an accusation, but still. His fingers curled tightly into the fabric of the vest, sharp nails breaking a few threads. "They're not--They're fine. They smile a lot, still. But they're not going to--to hurt me, if that's what you think. Or bring me back to whatever I used to be." No one had a word for what StrexCorp made him into. No one wanted to put a word to it. "Besides, I've been there plenty of times. They haven't done anything. Smiling _God_ , do you think I'd be so _stupid_ as to go to somewhere that's _dangerous_ or--Do you think I'd revert?!" Kevin locked his gaze with Cecil. Despite his black pits of eyes, they were fiery and hurt. "Because I wouldn't. I wouldn't and if you think I would--"

"No, no, no, flower. It's not that! We don't--We'd never think that of you!" Carlos said quickly, eager to stop a fight between the two. Cecil, however, seemed uncertain, hesitant even. Distrust was… Well, considering what StrexCorp had done--the Company Picnic, his station, Carlos and the Otherworld--he was wary. He didn't distrust Kevin, but he did worry that a relapse, a reversion, something would make every bit of progress Kevin had made scatter, and a smiling, empty shell of what Kevin was would remain, and who the hell knew what would happen. "We just worry about you. You know that. That's all. And, as Cecil pointed out, you've never stayed the night, and we just want to make sure you're okay. That you'll be okay."

A tense silence fell between the three. Kevin was clearly torn between the two. Cecil was clenching his hands into fists, then relaxing them, just to clench them again. Carlos had one hand raised, like he was trying to soothe an animal. The only sound was the ticking clock on the wall--a steady beat interspersed by the expected loud bang every time the second hand hit a prime number. Kevin finally let out a slow exhale, though it was clear he was still hesitant about the whole matter.

"Fine. Fine. Yes, company would be nice. It's been… It's been a long time since I stayed a night in a Desert Bluffs that was free of StrexCorp." He sounded tired at the thought. Tired and sad, but a note of excitement laid underneath all of it.

Desert Bluffs was in decline, that much was true. While there were people there, Kevin had never mentioned that they were leaving. Slowly but surely, leaving until no one would remain. It… It made him sad. Upset. The town had been home, but it was hard not to notice the town was in decline. Most of the production centers didn't run anymore. With no one there to fix the machinery, to press the buttons, to clean encrusted blood from the floors so it didn't gum up production, they were shut down. Yogurt stands were empty, no longer bustling with people eager to try new flavors against their will. The schools were empty now, of course, making the parks eerie and empty.

"I'll join you," Cecil said, surprising Kevin, who turned his own wary gaze onto him. Before Kevin could bring up the radio show that night, Cecil smiled tightly, offering a rebuttal before Kevin could argue. "An Intern can do the show. I know Intern Kareen can manage. He'll do fine." At that, Kevin deflated, leaning back in his chair with a growl. Clearly he'd have preferred Carlos, and Cecil couldn't blame him. The two got on so much better, and that was quite obviously due to the year spent in the Otherworld, and the, roughly, five or six months that the two had spent together. Cecil watched Kevin nod his reluctant agreement and then turn his focus back onto packing.

"You'll need a set of clothes. A spare set, too. We'll be a bit busy," was all Kevin said with a huff, shutting his own suitcase with a sharp click before muttering a grim threat to it to lock it. Night Vale nuances had taken some getting used to, but thankfully some things came easy. He couldn't tell funny jokes to make the coffee maker brew him his right coffee. He couldn't whisper silly riddles to lights to make them stop flickering. But he could tell dark secrets to his station door to open it. In order to get off the lists, he could make dark threats to the telemarketers who wanted to sell him various things he'd never need. He was chock-full of all of those, and more. He wheeled himself out of the bedroom without another word, clearly upset still. Carlos started to get up before he sighed, settling back on the bed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"You _need_ to be more… Sympathetic tonight, okay? Don't… You _know_ Desert Bluffs is a sore spot for him. I really don't need to break up fights between you two via text and Snapchat." Carlos looked at Cecil, dead serious. He didn't mind settling arguments between them. Honestly, it gave him insight to their relationship, and how exactly the two were handling each other. Not to mention, it helped them work things out about everything. About how to tell when Kevin was going to have a Good Day or a Bad Day. Or when Cecil was having Difficulties with Kevin's presence, and they could situate a date between just the two of them. Cecil and Carlos, of course, not Kevin and Cecil. That'd be deadly.

"Fine. I will. I didn't--you know I'd _never_ upset him on purpose." Carlos eyed him with a frown. "Okay, not to a point where he'd be dangerous. We'll be fine. We'll be okay. It's just a little over a day gone. It'll be…Fun. It'll be fun."


	2. The Bus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kevin is sassy. Which is nothing new. Cecil dwells. Carlos mediates. There's a four armed deer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Texting notes:  
> Underlined is the message group  
> Bold is Kevin  
> Italicized is Carlos  
> Bold + Italicized is Cecil

The bus pulled up in front of their home. It was small, yellow, slightly run down looking, and had a series of caged doors that locked at each seat, like ones that were used for the pre-school that didn't exist anymore. Not since the Toddler Incident. The nannies would be missed. The Toddlers were still at large. They had not been seen in years.

The lift for the wheelchair dropped down from the bus, and Kevin wheeled himself up onto it, leaning down to buckle one wheel in. "Can you get the other one?" he asked as he fiddled with the buckle, not even looking at Cecil. "I always get that one wrong and my chair goes sliding. Or, it undoes itself. Either or." At least these didn't have some sort of special way to get to stay, but they did have moods, and you either got lucky, or you didn't. Simply that. Thank goodness Cecil actually stepped forward and secured his other wheel in while Kevin put the brake down.

Carlos leaned down to peck Kevin on the lips and the repeated the action on Cecil. "You two have fun. Yes, I'll feed Khoshekh and the kittens on my way home, so yes, I'll come home and get some rest instead of sleeping in the lab, and yes, I'll have my phone on me at all times," he said with a smile, watching his two lovers who both beamed back. The lift raised, and Cecil climbed onto the bus, dropping their luggage onto the first seat before sitting in the seat across from where Kevin's chair would be parked. It'd be, well, awkward to sit on the bus for three hours with no one else and ignore Kevin. Not that he would. But it could lessen arguments if he did and--

Cecil was broken from his train of thought when Kevin cleared his throat, and he looked at the blond-haired man, noting he'd hefted himself up at some point so he could sit on one of the bench seats, back pressed against the window and gaze fixed on Cecil. Both radio hosts stared at each other for a few minutes. Kevin was still very confused as to why Cecil would join him, and Cecil could read it all over his face.

"You didn't have to come, you know," Kevin said finally, looking away from his Double. "I know you hate Desert Bluffs. I don't… Understand fully. Small town rivalries and whatnot. But still. We're not… You don't know what we were like before. We were good people. Not abominations. Not cultists. We'd never even heard of The Smiling God until StrexCorp came." Kevin's words were soft, almost tired. He didn't defend Desert Bluffs as much as he wished he did. It was his home. It was where he had grown up. He'd had family and friends, and sure it wasn't _perfect_ by any stretch of the word, but it was _home_ which meant he loved it. "And I know you remember our conversation. For you it wasn't terribly long ago, but for me. Gosh. Ages and ages ago." He scrubbed his face tiredly, shaking his head with a frown. "'Desert Bluffs is a wonderful town, and you live happily in it'. What a bunch of…" He trailed off, closing his eyes.

A silence fell. The bus chugged along across the desert plains, cacti idly passing them, along with the occasional pack of wild dogs. Kevin didn't break the silence, and Cecil didn't want to start a fight. Not this early into the trip. A slight clicking caught Cecil's ears, which signaled that Kevin had fallen asleep. Probably slept the whole ride to Desert Bluffs. How else was he supposed to spend these trips? A soft ping from his cell phone had Cecil smiling.

Carlos

_Hey boo. :) How's the ride?_

_**U g h.** _

_Oh, come on. Can't be that bad._

_**U G H.** _

_**Kevin's… Upset. And asleep.** _

_Sympathy, Cecil! I said sympathy!_

_**I didn't say anything! He just went off on a tangent and… Oh, he's moving.** _

And moving he was. Kevin stirred, one eye open and locked onto the mobile. "'s Carlos? Hmph." There was a shuffle from Kevin as he pulled his own cell phone out.

Family

**It's true, Carlos. He didn't do anything.**

**I started it.**

_:(_

**_I told you I'm innocent._ **

**_You woke him up though._ **

**Mm. Cecil's right. For once. :)**

**I wouldn't expect it to happen again anytime soon. :)**

_Manners._

"I've been right before!" Cecil said, looking at Kevin with a frown. "StrexCorp's evil. There, I've been right." Kevin just smiled toothily at him, and then looked back at his own phone, tapping a few buttons and then hitting send. A series of emojis (all anatomically correct hearts that were being implanted into various actual Night Vale citizens chest cavities) popped up in the group chat, followed by Carlos' reciprocated basic heart emoticons.

The hours flew by quickly. No arguments, thankfully. Both Cecil and Kevin drifted in and out of consciousness, taking brief naps between their conversation with Carlos. It became obvious when Carlos began work, because his texts suddenly stopped. Cecil was roused, though, by Kevin's excited inhale and the sound of him rapidly moving in his seat. His eyes fluttered open, and he was greeted by the sight of Desert Bluffs.

It was definitely a desert town, but it was far more high-tech than Night Vale. Or, it had been. There were a few yogurt shops near where the bus was clearly aiming to stop. In the distance, visible on the skyline, was a factory, and then, even taller, just barely peeking over the factory, was a skyscraper. None of these buildings looked relatively in good shape. From weather, the elements, scavengers, animals. Who knew. But they definitely weren't inhabited by anyone anymore.

Closer buildings were mostly stores. A few grocery stores, some small convenience stations, even a few newspaper stands. There was a sign that pointed towards the Strex Employee Housing District, and down another street were some apartments and homes that definitely hadn't been inhabited in years upon years. Out on the streets, a few citizens approached, their stretched smiles filling their faces, making Cecil's blood run cold. It brought back painful, awful, terrible memories of office workers coated in blood, of a company picnic, a blood soaked radio station, and then, of course, Carlos disappearing through the Oak Doors.

When they exited the bus, Kevin glanced over the citizens, taking note of who was there. "Did--oh. Moira and her family. They left?" he asked finally, looking at an old woman, who had to be far older than she looked, and she already looked wizened in her years. "Oh. Well. That's… Good. She and Maria always talked about the Mesa. Wanted their son and child to grow up somewhere… Normal. I'm glad for them." Kevin rubbed his shoulder, sighing before leaning back into his chair. "Oh, uhm. Cecil. This is Grandma Josephine. And, ah, Rodriguez," he pointed to a woman with bright purple eyes and a forked tongue, "Jin," a smaller person holding Rodriguez's hand, whose eight eyes locked onto Cecil's and blinked slowly, "and Laurence." A literal four armed deer. Kevin didn't seem fazed by this at all. To be fair, after meeting the Erikas, the Glow Cloud, and a literal Smiling God, Cecil was sure that nothing would really faze Kevin anymore.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Cecil! Kevin's told us all about you," Laurence said, and Cecil actually had to do a double take at the news. Talked? About him? Sure, if Kevin were talking about Carlos, he'd understand. Who _didn't_ want to talk about Carlos, though? Him, though? Aside from being his double and not-so-serious boyfriend, there really wasn't much Kevin could say about him that could constitute as "all about him". Kevin coughed awkwardly, looking away when Cecil looked at him.

"That's, uh, no matter. Thank you, friends. Uhm, we'll be 'round later, okay? I just want to, er, give Cecil a tour, alright? He's never been here before. And I mean never. Before or during or after. So, uh, we'll--we're working on the school tonight. I'll meet you all there, okay?" The group nodded and bid Kevin goodbye. Or, Laurence and Grandma Josephine did verbally, what Cecil suspected was Jin's voice slithered in through his ears, though the person's lips did not move, and Rodriguez just stared with her broad smile. As if the doubles had never appeared, the group returned to their own errands and lives, and Kevin watched the group leave. Cecil was silent, aware that Kevin was actually a touch uncomfortable.

"It's funny. First time I've ever brought home someone I was mutually dating, and my parents aren't here to see it," Kevin said with a tight laugh, before he clasped his hands together, looking up at Cecil. "So, tour or apartment first?" he asked, dropping his hands to the wheels, ready to give Cecil his tour.


	3. This is Where We...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *runs you over with the Feels Train*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! So, I mentioned in a comment that this will be a series, and I do intend on doing that! I have a bit planned, but I want to finish Memory Lane first. I foresee one more chapter definitely, and maybe another, depending on how much goes into the next chapter.

Cecil had settled on a tour of the town. It was just the best thing to start with, he figured. Give him a sense of where he was, what was in the town, all of that. Besides, his legs needed a good stretch after sitting on a bus for three hours. Kevin didn't seem to mind either way. He'd handed his and Cecil's bags off to another resident--someone whose name was "impossible to pronounce in any known language available at this moment so we just smile politely"--with the assurance their bags would be back at Kevin's apartment when they finished. Kevin seemed to be sure of it, so Cecil only let himself be a bit wary about the possibility of their belongings disappearing.

Most of the town seemed relatively untouched. It was clear that the area was fairly abandoned. Many buildings were just… Empty. Not literally. Kevin assured Cecil that there was indeed furniture and belongings in the homes and businesses. But they weren't inhabited anymore. It was like almost everyone had just picked up and left without even caring to bring their belongings. On most buildings were posters and signs, all clearly from StrexCorp. The posters all bore similar messages. 'Look around you. Strex. Look inside you. Strex. Go to sleep. Strex. Believe in a Smiling God!' 'Keep working hard!' 'Work hours are ever increasing!' 'Have you been working hard?' 'Death does not mean you can't work!' 'StrexCorp is love. StrexCorp is life.' They passed by one, though, that had Kevin freezing, and he rolled back to tear it down. Two faces were visible before Kevin shredded the poster. One was definitely Kevin's.

"I thought we tore all of those down," Kevin seethed, to himself, glowering at the remains of the poster. Cecil glanced at the remains, noting that the stranger in the poster was definitely a man, snappily dressed in a suit, and that was all he could see. Kevin shifted his chair so that he rolled over the poster, huffing as he did so. "Sorry about that. Uhm, hey! This way is, uh, oh gosh, it's been a while since I actually looked around here." The anxious note in Kevin's voice had Cecil concerned, but he said nothing on it. Kevin would deny it if he did.

The two made their way down a walk, and found themselves down a street that must have been caught somewhere between what Desert Bluffs used to be and what StrexCorp was intending on changing. Many of the buildings had their old signs covered up with giant 'Coming Soon!' posters, not to mention more of the propaganda posters that littered the town. Kevin was pointing out certain buildings, each one making him either smile or laugh or frown.

"That store! Oh, it used to be a small bookstore! We found--I mean, me and a friend, his name was Richard and we went to school together--we found a box of baby tarantulas! Raised them during the summer and found them all homes. I kept one. Her name was Lilith," Kevin said excitedly, pointing at one store that seemed somewhat intact. It's sign wasn't completely covered, and there were a few boxes of books that were still sitting out on the curb. Again, like they'd all just picked up and left. Cecil wondered how exactly time worked in Desert Bluffs. How much time had passed between the takeover of Desert Bluffs and the attempted takeover of Night Vale? Kevin never said. They didn't talk much about the days of StrexCorp and its affect on Kevin. At least, Cecil and Kevin didn't. If Carlos and Kevin did, Carlos was under strict orders to not tell Cecil. "She was a good tarantula. I don't know what happened to her. Wasn't allowed pets after everything." He seemed a bit forlorn at the memory, but he shook his head, clearing the thought away. "I mean, most people weren't. Higher ups were. But, for a lot of us. Nope! I kept her 'til the very end."

As they roamed the street, Kevin pointed out various businesses and homes, and Cecil got to see a range of emotions that he usually didn't see come from the Eldritch being. "That! That was the _greatest_ diner! Oh, I'd go there all the time after classes during college or during my internship at DBCR!" "That was literally the worst library in town. And it's the only library. They never had any good books in. And it always smelled terrible." "Hold on. Hold on. I need to--this movie theater was just--" A pause as Kevin leaned over to grab a rock that had been kicked up from the grass, which he lobbed at the marquee, "I worked _there_ during college and it was _awful_. Worst job ever. I can't believe it's still around. Stupid thing'll survive lightening strikes." "I passed out on that bench once. Grandma Josephine found me and brought me to her place. Her raccoons woke me up."

With each story, Kevin's face lit up in joy, the black pits of his eyes seemed to sparkle, and he seemed to be hopping in his seat. Even the sad memories, the angry memories, the bitter hopeless memories. They all had one thing in common: StrexCorp wasn't there. When the town was, and Cecil hated to think of it like this, a normal and respectable town. Was this what Night Vale could have been? Was this where he could be if he and the town hadn't fought as hard as they had? If Steve hadn't been there to, well, throw Kevin into the Otherworld?

"You really love this town, don't you?" Cecil asked, his voice soft. And, well, why wouldn't Kevin? The town was his home. From Cecil's understanding, Kevin had been born here. Definitely grew up and went to school in Desert Bluffs, at least. ("That was where my school used to be! Tore it down to build the new one a few blocks away. But, oh, it was so fun there. I plucked my first crow on the park! Oh, it was a mess, but, well, first tries usually are.") "You're just… Very passionate about this place. It's…" He paused to think of the right word. "Refreshing. I guess this must be how I sound about Night Vale, huh?"

Kevin didn't answer at first. The sun was starting to dip down against the buildings, bringing with it a dark orange sky. They kept walking, and slowly Cecil realized they were entering a different district of the town. Whereas the previous area had been shops with the occasional rented living space above, this district was filled with apartments and homes. Mostly apartment buildings. This had to be the district aimed at young adults and lower income people. Kevin had said he lived in an apartment before StrexCorp had come. It was also extremely desolate. This was where people had first picked up and left. Though, Cecil was willing to bet that this wasn't when they began their move to Night Vale. No. This was the move from just when StrexCorp took over. Glass was shattered in some windows, there were blood stains on lawns and sidewalks, and a few doors were kicked in. This was when StrexCorp was taking people.

"I adored this town. We were perfect in our own ways. We were all happy in our own rights." Kevin slowed to a stop so he could lean back in his chair, his hands falling into his lap. "I know most of the residents don't remember a lot from Before. But I do. And maybe it's because I fought hard. Maybe it's because even during my StrexCorp training I was fighting back until my mind splintered and I was… Doesn't matter. I remember. This whole town was _good_." He nodded to the back of his chair, motioning for Cecil to push him.

With a few hand motions, Kevin directed Cecil to his old apartment building, and up the elevator to his residence. He reached into his pocket and pulled out an old key, his fingers smoothing over the metal forlornly. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Kevin unlocked the door and pushed it open.

Other than their bags sitting on the carpet, it was clear that the room had been otherwise untouched in decades. Possibly centuries. Dust was thick on every surface, and the air was stale. Kevin reached up, fingers fumbling for the light switch, and when the light clicked on, spiders scrabbled to corners, hiding from the light and disturbance.

While Kevin now was neat and tidy, nothing out of place and a place for everything, it was uncertain if this mess was created by the other or not. Papers were scattered amongst every table, and piles were stacked on the floor. The walls were littered with posters. In the corner were protest signs, paint cracked and dull. It took a moment for realization to hit on what all of the mess was. Plans. Rebellion plans. Everything Kevin had planned, done, intended on doing. All in the hopes that it would work. That StrexCorp would be defeated and their town would recover.

"Heh. Just how I left it. Gosh. I was in a hurry, though. Grandma Josephine had called. Next to me, she was the last to succumb. She--she said I had to hurry to the station. I--I couldn't let them buy the station." Kevin's voice made Cecil jump just a bit, and he looked down at him, watching Kevin's gaze move over the papers, the plans, everything he had created. "Her last act before they got to her. Before they showed her The Smiling God and His Light." Kevin frowned tightly, staring at the living room. "I had hoped that--that it would be the last time. That I'd finish everything and find some way to reverse everything."

The two entered the apartment, and Kevin wheeled himself to his room, returning with a cane. It wasn't that he couldn't walk, but he ran out of energy easily. But his apartment, he'd made sure that it was accessible whether he was walking or in his chair. Grimacing, Kevin looked around, definitely upset at the sight.

"I'd have thought my home would have been raided. I wasn't a violent protes--okay I was a bit violent. I could have planted bombs around StrexCorp headquarters if I'd wanted to," Kevin said, bitterness creeping into his tone, like he was genuinely upset he hadn't thought to do so. Cecil figured that was the case, until Kevin continued. "That was a last ditch plan, though. I didn't want to cause anyone physical harm unless necessary."

Cecil walked into the living room, kneeling down to flick through some of the papers. Most were just speeches, notes on their meetings, a few brainstorming sessions, Kevin's tired ramblings from sleepless nights. "You were… Dedicated. Planned. I mean, I don't think picnics and picket protests were the best ideas but still. You were organized. Much more organized than we were." He paused on one sheet, looking over the words and recognizing some as his own. 'Cecil said we win! And I know it looks really dire right now--like, super dire, incredibly dire, why don't we just give up now dire--but he _said_ we win! So we got to keep doing this!'. Kevin leaned over, one hand grasping the sofa, to see what Cecil was looking at.

"Oh. Yeah. Uhm. You were… Well, I talked about you a lot. I mean, I didn't know much about you, but still. We believed so much that we were going to win. I mean, you made it sound… Well, people were listening. I don't know if I was broadcasting on yours, but you were on mine." Kevin remembered the flood of calls that Intern Vanessa had relayed to him. Excited jabbering about their imminent win. Kevin had been elated. The thought of chasing the awful company out was a mere dream at that point, and that's all it was now. A dream. "That's how they know about you. I mean, I talk about you now. Of course. You and Carlos. They like hearing about our relationship. It makes them happy. And I have to make them happy. To make up for… For all of this."

Cecil's shoulders slumped as he looked at the papers. No, this wasn't his fault. Not really. He couldn't have done anything. Telling Kevin back then that they'd lose could have done worse damage. And he had hoped it would work. That they would win and none of this mess would happen. But it had. And here they were. He was about to ask what Kevin had meant earlier, when he'd told the group that they'd meet them later, when Kevin's phone chimed.

"Get changed into those spare clothes. We need to go soon. And I hate making them wait."


	4. The Clean Up Crew

"What are we even doing here?" Cecil asked, staring at the school building Kevin had brought him to. There was a much larger group of residents than the group that had greeted them, though that wasn't saying much if Cecil was being honest. Three more people could constitute as the group being 'much bigger'. There were four new faces, three new bodies. ("Cortez-Lucile, Myle, and Josef.") Cecil, admittedly, was tuning them out at this point. He was really confused as to why Kevin had made him change, why most of the group was holding bags and various types of tools. Some had hammers, some had pliers, some had wire cutters. Josef seemed happy with just her bare hands, insisting she could work just fine with them when Kevin offered her a crowbar. "Why do we have to be here at _night_?" He was whining, but Cecil did not care. He was disgruntled and confused, and Kevin had yet to explain anything.

"We're cleaning up," Kevin said simply, like that explained anything. "Usually we work during the day, but you're here, and…" Kevin hesitated, waving one hand dismissively after a moment. "You're here, so we were delayed. I'll have to come again later in the month."

'Cleaning up', as it entailed, was exactly that. The school was built during Strex's hold on the town. It was bright yellow, and there were posters of what Cecil presumed was whatever they imagined the Smiling God looked like and the StrexCorp logo everywhere. Cecil was almost surprised that 'Sunshine Academy' wasn't just 'StrexCorp Academy'. Kevin insisted that school _did_ exist, but it was a training facility for working with the company, not for teaching children. Kevin rubbed his neck at the memory of the facility, which had Cecil concerned. Kevin assured him it was nothing.

Cecil wasn't certain he believed him.

Many of the posters were the same. Whomever had put them up hadn't been instructed to put up various ones. At least five of the fifteen posters the evening radio host had yanked down all bore the same 'Productivity is the key to happiness! Happiness is the key to productivity!' poster. While Cecil was tasked with the paper posters, Kevin, Josef, and Myle were working on the metal ones that were quite literally attached to walls, doors, and--in one case--a window. Laurence and Cortez-Lucile were fussing over the regular debris that had accumulated in the time the town had been abandoned. Mostly just the glass, the organs, the crumpled school papers that had been stepped and squashed and left for mice to nibble at.

There was a bang as one of the signs that Kevin and Josef were pulling off, and then a shout of surprise. One that Cecil recognized belonging to his datemate. His head shot up from the mass of propaganda posters towards where the group was working, and he started at the sight of Kevin bleeding from his head.

"Fuck. _Fuck_ ," Kevin hissed, pressing a hand to the head wound with a grimace while a chorus of tsking sounded. "I know, I _know_ , I'm sorry. Vulgar, dirty language." Kevin did not swear. Not in the history that Cecil had known him. Hearing such language from the man was off-putting, and he found himself hurrying over to check on him, inspecting the wound with a frown. Not deep, thankfully. Just bleeding a lot, as head wounds were apt to do. Someone--Grandma Josephine, Cecil guessed at the wrinkled hand--handed him a rag, and he pressed it to Kevin's forehead, soaking up the blood. "I'm fine, I'm _fine_ ," Kevin insisted, even as Cecil pulled the rag back once to check the wound, pleased to see that it was already starting to heal itself up. Probably the one and only upside to Kevin's time at StrexCorp. Most wounds healed themselves rapidly thanks to whatever meds and operations they'd done on Kevin and the rest of the town. Injuries, after all, weren't good for productivity. Having workers who could heal quickly, however… Much better. The thought that he was agreeing with StrexCorp sat in his stomach like cold ice, but he ignored it in favor of mopping up the blood that was drying in Kevin's hair. Evidently when they had pulled down the sign, it had smashed into Kevin's head.

Josef and Rodriguez insisted that Kevin assist Cecil for the time being. Just until his head wound was completely healed. No sense overworking himself and making it split open before it was healed. Kevin was not happy when, as the moon started setting and the sun peaked out in the distance, it was just starting to scar over. The school was barely tidied, but it was an improvement. Even Kevin admitted that the school was one of the bigger projects in cleaning up the town. He'd explained the whole point of these trips while he and Cecil sorted through stacks of papers they'd found in a classroom. All school work, obviously, but from children who were still adjusting to StrexCorp's buyout.

-

"Desert Bluffs is… It's dying. I know that. I've known it for a long time. But," Kevin said softly, his voice seemingly loud in the otherwise quiet building, "I don't want StrexCorp to be what everyone sees, if someone finds what remains of the Bluffs. I don't want… I don't want an evil corporation to be what the Bluffs is remembered as." Kevin smoothed out a drawing of a family with a name and age in the corner (Alejandro, Age 7.257999999), smiling gently at it. "I don't want strangers seeing what we turned into. It's not who we were. At all. This," he gestured to his head wound and the permanent tilt of a smile on his lips unless he actually experienced a different emotion, "This isn't who I was. 'Mister Frowny Face' wasn't who I was either, but I definitely didn't smile as much as I do now."

"Kevin--" Cecil started, falling silent when Kevin raised one hand to stop him from interrupting.

"No, stop. I know--I know you don't care for me as much as you do Carlos. And I get that. I took him from you. I mean, indirectly. I influenced him to stay much longer than he probably wanted to." Kevin was apologetic at that. "I threatened Janice. Sort of. Fixing her. Hypocritical of me. Dammit." Kevin shifted in his chair, a look of pain on his face. It took a moment to work out it wasn't physical, and Cecil felt his heart break just a little. "I did terrible things. A lot of terrible things. And Night Vale has… Forgiven me. For some reason. For some reason I don't fully understand but I suspect it has to do with you and Carlos. What I _do_ know is that I don't deserve it."

The finality in his tone, the force and the insistent gaze in Kevin's eyes, was shattering. Distantly, in the back of his head, Cecil could hear Carlos. _Sympathy._ He had to be sympathetic. Had he not been in the past? No, of course he hadn't. Tolerating his presence. Brief pecks to Kevin's cheek when Carlos was in the room. Bashing the town that Kevin had given everything for and failed. No wonder Carlos insisted he be sympathetic. He wasn't. Not to Kevin, at least. One awful trait of his; if Cecil adored someone, they were Perfect with a capital 'P'. And if he had any reason to dislike someone (Steve, Sheriff Sam at one point, Leonard Burton briefly, Daniel, Steve again for good measure), it was very hard to come back to even a mutual tolerance. And Kevin had, well, done a lot of awful things under StrexCorp orders that affected Cecil.

"Kevin, I don't hate you. I mean, I did. Once. Like. A lot. A lot more than once, actually. I would not have you in my-- _our_ house if I did. You would be back in that Otherworld or far worse if I hated you," Cecil said slowly, wanting to make sure that Kevin understood. He didn't want Kevin tiptoeing around him, thinking he didn't care. Their towns were connected by some Other Force, and, whatever it was, it wasn't letting them go just because StrexCorp was now owned by the Erikas.

"I'm… Sorry that I made you feel that way. I'm really sorry. Tremendously sorry. I shouldn't--Carlos has covered for me a lot. I don't hate you, and you're not the only one that's done awful things to your Double. I'm not entirely innocent here." At some point, he'd moved over from his stack of papers to stand besides Kevin, one hand brushing back blond hair against brown skin, his own tanned skin warm against Kevin's unnaturally cool skin. "I can't say I love you like Carlos, but I do love you. You make Carlos smile in ways I can't. In ways I … Probably don't want to, to be honest. Lights in the Sky, I do not want to know. But, Flower, we both love you." Cecil tilted Kevin's chin up so they were locked eyes to eyes. "Without you, I would not have gotten Carlos back. And, by extension, we wouldn't be fixing this town, right?" A crack of a smile usually only reserved for Carlos, Janice, or Khoshekh pulled at Cecil's lips.

There was a heart beat of silence, and Kevin started to answer, but Cecil's lips stopped any words. Warm lips pressed against cool ones. Kevin's eyes drifted shut at the tender kiss, and Cecil found himself sighing contentedly. The twin tattoos that entwined up both radio hosts arms twitched just faintly that an untrained eye would miss the movement, but both men felt it on their skin. When Cecil pulled back, ending the kiss with just a hint of disappointment, the purple stain of his lipstick was visible against Kevin's lips.

"Gosh." Kevin broke the silence, clearly dazed and just faintly blushing. "Ahem. I mean. That was… I'm… We should get back to work or we're never going to finish this room in time." Cecil's laughter filled the room, and the two set to work in comfortable silence. Carlos would be happy, and some of the tension between the Doubles eased.

-

As the two men boarded the bus, Cecil couldn't help but glance out the window to look at the town one last time. He and Carlos would have to join Kevin again. Carlos had to see this. He had to see what Kevin was trying to do. Unless he already knew. As they got situated on a shared seat--Kevin leaning against Cecil's side while Cecil leaned against the window--their phones buzzed with Carlos' good morning text, filling them in on how the show had gone and wondering if they were alright, considering they'd never actually phoned Carlos. 'Scientists get very worried when their boyfriends don't call them!' was one voicemail left by the flustered and perturbed scientist.

"Kevin?" Cecil asked through a tired yawn, having not slept the night before since the whole town was cleaning. Kevin didn't require sleep often. Another Strex perk. The man hummed in acknowledgement, idly texting Carlos that they were fine and on their way home. "That poster yesterday." The gentle movement of Kevin's shoulder while he texted froze, and for a moment he was certain that the already shallow breaths Kevin naturally drew had grown even shallower. "The one you saw before you showed me around. You were on it. And so was another man. Who was it?"

"Diego. Or Santiago. I'm… I'm still not certain."

Against the rising sun, Cecil could see puncture mark scars littered Kevin's neck, and there was the faint outline of something that had been dug into Kevin's skin long enough to be a permanent scar. Kevin raised one hand and brushed his fingers against one of the marks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're done! This is my first, finished, chaptered work ever. I'm... So happy. I'm exhausted, but happy. It took every ounce of willpower to finish, but I'm glad I did. Because it means I can start rocking out a bunch of what I have planned for the next part in this series! I'm so excited! I know there are a LOT of unanswered questions in this fic, and don't you worry. Those will be found out soon enough. :) Thank you to those who have stuck around for this short fic. You're all wonderful. n_n


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